The 3rd international Study Week on Children of Prisoners 2014 Greetings from Wells of Hope,

I am writing to invite you to attend The 3rd international Study Week on Children of Prisoners 2014 which will be held from 23rd to 28th June 2014 in Kampala, Uganda.

Like before ,as Wells of Hope,It’s a special time we will have when we host the 3rd International Study Week , to learn more kindly visit http://studyweek.org

Over the past two years the Study week has grown and caught the interest of academicians, Social workers ,criminologists ,Researchers ,religious workers and practitioners working with Children of prisoners among others kinds of people. As Wells of Hope,The study week is a great avenue for us to consolidate our experience, to share new knowledge and skills, and to discuss and jointly develop an Action Agenda for Children whose Parents are in Prison .The study week also aims to promote friendship, solidarity, and one spirit Among people working with Children whose parents Are in Prison from all over the World.

The study week also aims to educate participants about the effects of parental imprisonment . Like before during the study week The participants will appreciate the plight of children of prisoners from a global perspective,they will learn and contribute towards creative and effective solutions that can be undertaken.

The one week with Wells of Hope team will take you to visit remote villages and isolated people especially grandmothers who care for the children of their children in prison. When you meet the families in the rural communities helped by Wells of Hope, you will be touched by their stories, motivated by their achievements and inspired to overcome the challenges in your own life and community.

In the afternoons and on the last day we will conduct seminars and meetings to exchange ideas; share lessons learned and collectively arrive at an Action Agenda for Children whose Parents are in Prison.

During the study week You will visit with the Children, at their residential school-Wells of Hope Academy, a school established to cater for the general welfare for children of prisoners,the first of its kind ; you will be touched by their stories, skills and talents. These children will entertain the participants through Music, Dance and Drama which show the traditions of Uganda while communicating the plight of a child of a prisoner.

Participants will visit the parents of these children in Prison, talk with them and get to know what they think about their children and families.Its always an experience visiting Uganda's prisons.

We will also provide you an opportunity to talk about your organization/agency or your work with children of prisoners . Midweek participants will have an opportunity to tour Uganda’s tourist attractions to experience the fauna and flora that spells the beauty of our country.

It will costs USD 850 to cover your accommodation, meals and transport while you are here for this eventful week.

To get a flavor of the day to day account of what happened in September 2013 you can read Rebecca Ginsburg -faculty member at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the director of the Education Justice Project, the campus’ prison education program .Here is her lively account available at this link http://www.educationjustice.net/home/2013/08/29/welcome-to-the-new-ejp-blog/

We look forward to meeting you here in Uganda, the Pearl of Africa, a country with an incredible beauty characterized by a fantastic natural scenery and a rich mosaic of tribes and cultures. Travelling through Uganda you will be captivated by its beauty, and overwhelmed by the friendliness of its people .See more at: http://www.visituganda.com

In 2004 we mobilized Christmas gifts from our friends, traced families of prisoners and handed over the gifts to children of prisoners in their homes. In 2005 and 2006 we did the same, but over those years as we did that we realized that children of prisoners in Uganda had needs beyond a Christmas gift , most of them had dropped out of school, others were involved in child labor and many girls had been sexually abused among many thorny circumstances these children lived in. It is from that point that the Lord led us into educating the children and doing other programmes for them.From 2006 even up to last year we dont only give out the Christmas gift,but we conduct Christmas carols,act out the Christmas story and hold a party for them.

God has brought us this far, but It’s our prayer that over the years we maintain the Christmas Carols and Gifts and party for children of prisoners. This year's Christmas party will be for 108 children.

From past Christmas events we have done, we observed that many of these children were getting a Christmas gift for the first time in their lives, and also when we have given these gifts they take them home and share them with their grand mothers and siblings who are not at Wells of Hope. Beyond this, it has helped us communicate the Love God displayed when he sent His son Jesus to be birthed among us ,to save us and present to us a gift of eternal life.Through the Christmas story that they rehearse and act out we are able to bring this message to them clearly.

To these children plagued with thoughts of their incarcerated parents, and some of them having a parent on death row, Christmas is a constant reminder of God’s love, a light in their dark world and Hope for the future.

When a parent is in put prison, it is difficult for them to give a Christmas gift to their children, and children of prisoners are most of the time forgotten at Christmas time. I believe God works through me and you to stand in this gap.

On 1st December 2013 we will hold a Christmas Carols and a Christmas party for the children of Prisoners and give them the gifts.This is coming early because the school will close on the 2nd December 2013.

If you wish to be part of this in anyway,let us know, you can contact us by email info@wellsofhope.org

The International Study Week on Children of Prisoners 2014 will be held from 23rd to 28th June 2014 in Kampala, Uganda. Wells of Hope Will host the Study week with the prospect to, consolidate our experience, To share new knowledge and skills, and to discuss and jointly develop an Action Agenda for Children whose Parents are in Prison in the next decade .

The study week also aims to promote friendship, solidarity, and one spirit Among people serving vulnerable Children specifically those whose parents Are in Prison from all over the World.. Read More